Occupations/Socio-economic Background: Veteran of the Revolutionary War ·Merchant in the mercantile business ·Lawyer ·Politician ·Captain of the Dutchess County Minutemen ·Secret service commissioner and sheriff of Dutchess County in 1777-1778 ·Strong supporter of Martin Luther ·Was a leader in reformation ·Help organize Washington Hollow Presbyterian Church
Melancton was a merchant in New York and was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Smith also worked as a lawyer, politician, a captain of the Dutchess County Minutemen and a secret service commissioner and sheriff of Dutchess County too. His government jobs makes him an outstanding person to discus and debate changes that should take place in the government.
Government Roles: ·First Provincial Congress Member in 1775 ·Continental Convention Congress Member (1785-1788) in which Melancton Smith was the chief spokesman for the Anti-Federalists ·A part of the Legislature in 1791 ·Represented as a Dutchess County in Conventions ·Continental Line Regiment in 1775 ·Member of state ratification convention at Poughkeepsie in 1788 ·In the State Assembly in 1791 ·Apart of the Federal Farmer Letters Melancton Smith was also a politician and represented New York as an Anti-Federalist. He was a member of the first Provincial congress and was apart of the legislature in 1791. Smith supported Governor George Clinton and in the State- Rights Party; and as a result he represented Dutchess County in a convention for the possibilities of rafting the Federal Constitution. Melancton also served as a continental convention congressman in 1785-1788. In the continental convention Smith was the chief spokesman for the Anti-Federalist. When the State ratification took place at Poughkeepsie in 1788 the Anti-federalists didn't want to ratify the Constitution "until it was amended to eliminate their objections" and the by the time this convention took place the Constitution to be in effect. John Jay and Melancton Smith ratified the Constitution and got 11 Anti-Federalists to vote for the Constitution and eight didn't. New York really didn't have a choice, they had to accept the Constitution otherwise New York would be kicked out of the Union. George Clinton hated Melancton for this and as a result Melancton never major office position.
Vote: He voted for the ratification of the Constitution, in the end.
Friends:
George Clinton
James Madison
Mercy Otis Warren
Patrick Henry
Richard Henry Lee
Robert Yates
Thomas Jefferson
Foes:
Alexander Hamilton
Ben Franklin
John Adams
John Jay
However Smith and Patrick Henry had arguments over what they thought the government sure be. And John Jay and Smith put the differences asided and help ratifitied the Constitution for New York.
Arguments: · Protection for individual liberties is on the line with the constitution. · The amount of power/ability the House of Representatives is questionable. · The government could fall into the hands of the wealthy. · The representatives will generally be composed of the first class in the community/ aristocracy of the country. · The representatives wouldn’t be fair to make sure their state is the best/richest. · The representative’s class matters to the other representatives and the people who elected him. · It is too difficult to combine a district containing 40,000 inhabitants to be framed for elections. · The poor and middle classes chance to be elected is minimal. This is a downfall in the constitution because middle class representative would be more ideal; because they are in between they see better what’s better for the poor and upper class. · “In every human society, there is an essay continually tending to confer on one part the height of power and happiness, and reduce the other to the extreme of weakness and misery. The intend of good laws is to oppose this effort , and to diffuse their influence universally and equally.” Marquis Beccaria · There is a big danger for corruption and tyranny. · The proportions of representatives per state will be matter to state would agree, each state would want an edge. · These economic difficulties are due to the war. The war cost most what we expected, that doesn’t mean we should change our government completely; the country’s debt lessened a bit too. · There is too many aspects like the, checks, extended republics, taxation, the need for a stronger union, the bill of rights, executive powers, house of representatives, regulation election, defense, standing armies, judiciary, the senate and the Representation in congress to look at that the constitution is not clear about.
New YorkInformation: ·Social Structure: (lowest to highest) oSlaves oServants oFamers/Traders/Merchants oProfessional Men/College Professors/Magistrates ·Population: oIn 1786 was about 238,899 ·Geography: oMountains ·Valleys/Hills Lakes and Rivers ·The West of New York wasn't explored ·Economy: oBased on the harbors and fur trade oTrading in general Social Structure: African Americans was the lowest social status. Domestic servants received mild; humane treatment compared to the African Americans. The next social status higher then this was a mix of farmers, traders and merchants. The ruling class was composed of the professional men, college professors and magistrates.
Population: The first Federal Census was not established till 1790; at that time the population was 340,241 people. The closest estimate in 1786 was 238,897 people. In the end, in four years this were was a difference of 101,344 people.
Geography: Most of the west of New York was not inhabited at the time. However New York at one time had many hills, valleys an mountains. It also contained various lakes and rivers which helped in trade.
Economy: New York's economy was well off with many harbors. They were also involved in the fur trade. The harbors and the fur trade made it easy to trade with follow colonist and Native Americans. Work Citied: Melancton Smith. Internet. 11 Feb. 2009 <http://images.virtualology.com/ac/5/i/ency0274.jpg>.
Anti-Federalist
Occupations/Socio-economic Background:
Veteran of the Revolutionary War
· Merchant in the mercantile business
· Lawyer
· Politician
· Captain of the Dutchess County Minutemen
· Secret service commissioner and sheriff of Dutchess County in 1777-1778
· Strong supporter of Martin Luther
· Was a leader in reformation
· Help organize Washington Hollow Presbyterian Church
Melancton was a merchant in New York and was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Smith also worked as a lawyer, politician, a captain of the Dutchess County Minutemen and a secret service commissioner and sheriff of Dutchess County too. His government jobs makes him an outstanding person to discus and debate changes that should take place in the government.
Government Roles:
· First Provincial Congress Member in 1775
· Continental Convention Congress Member (1785-1788) in which Melancton Smith was the chief spokesman for the Anti-Federalists
· A part of the Legislature in 1791
· Represented as a Dutchess County in Conventions
· Continental Line Regiment in 1775
· Member of state ratification convention at Poughkeepsie in 1788
· In the State Assembly in 1791
· Apart of the Federal Farmer Letters
Melancton Smith was also a politician and represented New York as an Anti-Federalist. He was a member of the first Provincial congress and was apart of the legislature in 1791. Smith supported Governor George Clinton and in the State- Rights Party; and as a result he represented Dutchess County in a convention for the possibilities of rafting the Federal Constitution. Melancton also served as a continental convention congressman in 1785-1788. In the continental convention Smith was the chief spokesman for the Anti-Federalist. When the State ratification took place at Poughkeepsie in 1788 the Anti-federalists didn't want to ratify the Constitution "until it was amended to eliminate their objections" and the by the time this convention took place the Constitution to be in effect. John Jay and Melancton Smith ratified the Constitution and got 11 Anti-Federalists to vote for the Constitution and eight didn't. New York really didn't have a choice, they had to accept the Constitution otherwise New York would be kicked out of the Union. George Clinton hated Melancton for this and as a result Melancton never major office position.
Vote: He voted for the ratification of the Constitution, in the end.
Friends:
George Clinton
James Madison
Mercy Otis Warren
Patrick Henry
Richard Henry Lee
Robert Yates
Thomas Jefferson
Foes:
Alexander Hamilton
Ben Franklin
John Adams
John Jay
However Smith and Patrick Henry had arguments over what they thought the government sure be. And John Jay and Smith put the differences asided and help ratifitied the Constitution for New York.
Arguments:
· Protection for individual liberties is on the line with the constitution.
· The amount of power/ability the House of Representatives is questionable.
· The government could fall into the hands of the wealthy.
· The representatives will generally be composed of the first class in the community/ aristocracy of the country.
· The representatives wouldn’t be fair to make sure their state is the best/richest.
· The representative’s class matters to the other representatives and the people who elected him.
· It is too difficult to combine a district containing 40,000 inhabitants to be framed for elections.
· The poor and middle classes chance to be elected is minimal. This is a downfall in the constitution because middle class representative would be more ideal; because they are in between they see better what’s better for the poor and upper class.
· “In every human society, there is an essay continually tending to confer on one part the height of power and happiness, and reduce the other to the extreme of weakness and misery. The intend of good laws is to oppose this effort , and to diffuse their influence universally and equally.” Marquis Beccaria
· There is a big danger for corruption and tyranny.
· The proportions of representatives per state will be matter to state would agree, each state would want an edge.
· These economic difficulties are due to the war. The war cost most what we expected, that doesn’t mean we should change our government completely; the country’s debt lessened a bit too.
· There is too many aspects like the, checks, extended republics, taxation, the need for a stronger union, the bill of rights, executive powers, house of representatives, regulation election, defense, standing armies, judiciary, the senate and the Representation in congress to look at that the constitution is not clear about.
New York Information:
· Social Structure: (lowest to highest)
o Slaves
o Servants
o Famers/Traders/Merchants
o Professional Men/College Professors/Magistrates
· Population:
o In 1786 was about 238,899
· Geography:
o Mountains
· Valleys/Hills
Lakes and Rivers
· The West of New York wasn't explored
· Economy:
o Based on the harbors and fur trade
o Trading in general
Social Structure: African Americans was the lowest social status. Domestic servants received mild; humane treatment compared to the African Americans. The next social status higher then this was a mix of farmers, traders and merchants. The ruling class was composed of the professional men, college professors and magistrates.
Population: The first Federal Census was not established till 1790; at that time the population was 340,241 people. The closest estimate in 1786 was 238,897 people. In the end, in four years this were was a difference of 101,344 people.
Geography: Most of the west of New York was not inhabited at the time. However New York at one time had many hills, valleys an mountains. It also contained various lakes and rivers which helped in trade.
Economy: New York's economy was well off with many harbors. They were also involved in the fur trade. The harbors and the fur trade made it easy to trade with follow colonist and Native Americans.
Work Citied:
Melancton Smith. Internet. 11 Feb. 2009 <http://images.virtualology.com/ac/5/i/ency0274.jpg>.
"Melancton Smith." www.famousmericans.net/melnctonsmith/. 11 Feb. 2009.
Antifederalists. 12 Feb. 2009 http://www.ushistory.org/us/16b.asp.
*The Debates in Convention of the State of New York on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution. 12 Feb. 2009 http://www.constitution.org/rc/rat_ny.htm#msmith02.
The Economy of America. 11 Feb. 2009 http://www.historycentral.com/Revolt/Americans/PriorEconomic.html.
JSTOR: The William and Mary Quarterly. 11 Feb. 2009 http://www.jstor.org/pss/1920872.
Melanctom Smith, New York Ratifing Convention. 2009 http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.aps?document=1814.
Melanctom Smith Papers,1767-1795. 12 Feb. 2009 http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/msscfa/sc14382.htm.
Nation at Crossroads. 12 Feb. 2009 https://www.nyhistory.org/web/crossroads/convention.html.
Populationand Social Rank. 11 Feb. 2009 http://www.usahistory.info/colonial/population.html.